Minor leaguers for Mets, Phillies protest pay with wristbands

Minor league players in the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies farm systems wore teal wristbands Saturday to protest pay that they say is insufficient.

At least 10 players from the Brooklyn Cyclones and Jersey Shore BlueClaws wore the wristbands — which feature the hashtag #FairBall — during their High-A game in New York. The demonstration was organized in part by Advocates for Minor Leaguers, which also handed out the wristbands to fans and distributed pamphlets detailing the financial issues faced by players.

“Minor League Baseball players have been severely underpaid and silenced for decades,” players from both teams said in a joint statement.“We love the game of baseball, but it needs to evolve. It is time for every minor leaguer to be paid a living wage.”

High-A players make a minimum of $500 per week and are only paid during the roughly six-month minor league season. While some players get signing bonuses worth hundreds of thousands — even millions — of dollars upon entering pro ball, many sign for as little as $1,000.

The financial burden has prompted players to sleep on sofas, air mattresses or floors in overcrowded apartments and seek charity from fans and more fortunate teammates.

Advocates for Minor Leaguers planned to hand out wristbands and pamphlets at several other stadiums around the country Saturday. The pamphlets suggest that MLB teams extend pay to players during the offseason and provide players with housing and three meals a day during the season.

Full-season minor leaguers earn from $12,000 to $16,800 per season. The federal poverty line is $12,880 for individuals.